8 Tips to Help You Balance School and Riding
If you’re worried about how to balance schoolwork and horseback riding, you’re not alone.
Every September, riders swap long days at the barn for long days in the classroom. Homework replaces hacks, and student equestrians begin the school / horse balancing act, trying to make time for a time-consuming hobby and the responsibilities of school and life.
If you’re a student rider, whether you’re in elementary, high school, or college, these 7 top tips will help you balance school and horseback riding.
Know Your “Why”
Balancing riding, schoolwork, and life isn’t easy - it takes dedication and motivation.
Before we talk about how to balance it all, it helps if you first understand why you’re doing it and what your goals are. Understanding why you’re doing something will inspire you to keep at it, even when it gets difficult.
As Mark Twain famously said, “a person who has a why can withstand any how.”
You probably know what you need to do (finish biology homework by Tuesday, get up early for a morning lesson on Saturday, for example), but what will inspire you to keep going is knowing why you’re doing something.
If you can associate an action with a goal, it will help motivate you to do it, even if you’re tired or really don’t feel like it.
So, let’s take those things you need to do and tie them back to a larger goal. For example:
What: “I need to finish my biology homework by Tuesday.”
Why: “I want to get into a top-ranked college veterinary program (goal), so I’m going to make sure my bio homework is ready by Tuesday (action).”
What: “I need to wake up at 6:30 am on Saturday for a riding lesson.”
Why: “I want to finish in the top 3 of my division this year (goal), so I’m taking extra lessons to improve my riding (action).”
The thought of getting into a great college and being division champ is much more inspiring than the thought of homework and early mornings.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead helps you see potential conflicts before they become issues.
For example, if you have three big tests in 1 week, that’s probably not a good time to enroll in a coaching clinic or volunteer to muck stalls at the barn. It might be better to opt for a hack instead of a lesson or make arrangements for a friend to exercise your horse if you’re going to be busy that week.
Likewise, if you have horse shows or other major events already planned, you can give your teachers a heads up about missed classes or let them know if you’ll need an extension to complete assignments. They may not always be able to accommodate you, but they’ll appreciate the heads up.
Planning ahead is also critical for reducing your stress, too. The last thing you need is to come home from the barn Sunday evening and realize you have a huge paper due Monday morning that you totally forgot about.
Use a day planner, agenda, or app to track your assignments and riding lessons.
Apps like iStudiez Pro help students manage class time and extracurricular activities. If you just need help staying on track with homework, an app like myHomework planner can help you stay on top of your assignments.
Or opt for an app like Todoist, a time and task management app that isn’t strictly for students but is great at scheduling other life commitments, like riding lessons and social events.
For more apps horsepeople love, check out Equinavia’s 9 Best Mobile Apps for Equestrians.
The more you plan, the less likely you will be caught off guard by “last minute” schoolwork.
Set a Consistent Schedule
You have a class schedule, so why not a homework one, too? Setting aside even 60-90 minutes after school to do homework while you’re still in “school mode” can help you get a lot done.
An added bonus: knowing you’ve made progress can help clear your mind before you ride, so you can focus on your horse and not worry about all the work waiting for you at home.
If you own or part board, try to schedule your practice rides for a consistent day and time too, if your barn doesn’t already do this.
Not only does a consistent schedule make the horse’s life easier, but it makes scheduling the rest of your life easier. If you know you always hack Tuesdays from 6-7:30, you can schedule appointments or social events around that time.
Oddly enough, this same rule applies to distractions, too (more on that below).
Banish Procrastination
It’s easy to avoid procrastination if it’s something you enjoy doing (like going to the barn). But if it’s something that’s less exciting (like homework), it’s much easier just to procrastinate and delay the unpleasant task.
Help keep your studies on schedule by avoiding procrastination triggers that lure you away from the task at hand. Here are a few tips to help you avoid procrastination:
Eliminate Distractions
Do homework in a quiet place away from distractions. This could be a desk at home, or the backseat of Dad’s SUV at a show.
Set yourself up to win, so turn notifications off when it’s time to study or do homework. If you have to, leave your phone in another room so you’re not tempted to look at it.
Prioritize
It can be hard to know where to start when you have so many things to do. Combine your horsey and school to-do’s and set priorities based on urgency and due dates.
Choosing a lab partner for next week can probably wait until that dirty tack is clean, but you need to log some study hours before you can go shopping for a new lead rope.
Reward Yourself
Balancing horseback riding and schoolwork can be challenging, so ensure you’re rewarding yourself for a job well done. Using the barn as a reward is pretty effective! Just promise yourself that you don’t head to the barn until your homework is done.
Or use other rewards, like not watching that new episode until you’ve finished scrubbing the mud off your paddock boots or have finished your homework.
Schedule Distraction Time
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; font-va